Cotton Gin Controls

At it’s most basic, theeconomics of gin operation tells us that the cotton industry must continuously advance as gin owners look for ways to overcome fixed and variable costs associated with owning and operating a gin while improving upon efficiency and meeting the increased quality demands from growers, spinners and consumers. The key is gin controls.

Module Feeder Controls

The first entry of cotton into the gin is at the module feeder. The pace at which the rest of the ginning process runs, is at times, dictated at this point. A smooth and steady flow of modules feeding the gin is ideal. It’s the “Goldilocks principle,” not too fast and not too slow, control at the module feeder allows for synchronization of the whole system.

Brandon and Clark’s module feeder controls allows the ginner to be in control at all times. With control over up to five beds at a time, efficiency can be realized.

Operations:

Controls up to 5 beds

Controls the disperser operations: forward and reverse

Feed speed is determined by the ginner

Easily integrates with existing gin equipment

Retrofit existing module feeder controls

Remote unload bed operations

Hand to auto operations

Easy to operate

Monitor bed speed to improve ginning efficiency

Stay in Control at All Times:

Web browsing capabilities

2 Control panels: 1 local and 1 remote display

Built-in redundancy features ensures that you have control at all times

Gin Stand Control

Once the cotton has undergone the cleaning process via the stick machine and separators it enters the gin stand, the heart of the ginning process. The capacity and potential quality of the produced cotton rests on the proper operation of the gin stand.

An attentive ginner at the gin stand will ensure that the saw cylinder is free to rotate properly and that no foreign objects are within. Once verified, the ginner may distance himself to the integrated ginn stand controller, and full operation may commence.

If a need arises and the ginner must come close to the gin stand, Brandon and Clark’s remote swing arm can fully operate the gin stand while still being positioned at a safe distance.

Fire detection is a feature of the Brandon and Clark Gin Stand Controls. If for some reason, too much cotton has entered the gin stand, choking may occur. Choking then causes heating within the equipment, which can quickly become a potential for fire. Because of the seriousness of the matter, fire detection is at the forefront on the gin stand panel as well as at the ginners console.

Leveling and loading conditions are also of great importance. Any unbalance of either is a system running inefficiently. Our controls solution will detect any these undesired conditions alerting the ginner to make adjustments.

Features:

NEMA 4 enclosure

Optional swing arm display

Siemens integration

VFD

Touchscreen

Works with any gin stand

Fully integrated into ginner console

Touchscreen Operator Display:

Breasted in/out

Feed enable

Set point amperage

Actual amperage

Loaded

Feeder output

Fire detection

Low hopper level

Low discharge flow

Saw overloaded detection

Saw unload detection

Breast in alarm

Fire reset

Ginner's Console

Faster doesn’t always mean better. However fine tuned, clean, constant, and moisture control does equal better.Too much and too fast of a cotton load running through the gin stand drastically effects the finished product. Overloaded gin stands can result in a reduced quality with shorter fiber content and potential seed damage.

Therein comes the Brandon and Clark Ginners Console as a solution for orchestrating the perfect blend of speed and moisture.

At the ginner’s console, moisture levels are being monitored before acceptance of cotton into the gin stand. Based upon each stands load, ramping up or slowing down can be determined. If more time is required in the drying stage, it’s important not to circumvent that process doing so only causes problems down the line.

Features:

Ginner’s Console gives command beginning at the Motor Control Centers (MCCs) to all the controls overhead

Signals to the Module Feeder

Signals to the Press Console

Gives command to the gin stand when to breast in or turn on main saw motor

Signals to the Drying System

Customizable

Push button, touchscreen or a combination of both for customized operation

Bale Press

Under the watchful care of the ginner and the unified controls of Brandon and Clark, we have arrived to this final stage of ginning, bale pressing, and it all happened in approximately 3 minutes!

This final stage of cotton processing is bale packaging. This stage consists of the battery condenser, lint slide, lint feeder, tramper, bale press and bale tying.

Bale Press Console Controls:

Speed

Hydraulic control

Bale weight

Implements compression procedure by controlling the turn speed of the boxes

Lint Cleaner Control

Uniform and well dispersed cotton leaving the gin stand is key for this next stage, lint cleaning. During the lint cleaning stage, cotton is formed into a batt, this batt is then fed into the saw-type lint cleaner, further removing immature seeds or trash. Controlling a steady pace is important to allow for efficient cleaning and to maintain good fiber.

The lint cleaner has a direct impact on the grade and color of the finished cotton by removing any foreign matter. All ginners have in mind of producing the best quality cotton, but there needs to be mindful decisions about not allowing the cotton to remain in the lint cleaner too long, as this will damage the fiber length. Brandon and Clark’s lint cleaning controls helps the ginner to determine what the ideal length of time should be.

Lint Cleaner Controls:

Controls condenser screen

Speed of the lint cleaner screen

Enables for a better, cleaner process with removal of fine leaves, sticks and other trash material

Battery Condenser Control

The speed in which the battery condenser is operated is again finding the “Goldilocks” sweet spot. Not too slow and not too fast. Matching speed to capacity is key for a smooth and solid batt to be formed. If the speed is too fast, breaks will occur, if too slow the batt will become too thick and can potentially choke the machine.

If the ginner sees an uneven formation of lint batt, also known as “big-ended bales”, he knows that more lint is being deposited at one point of the press box than at the other. Brandon and Clark’s controls will help to prevent this condition by controlling the release of a steady and consistent deposit of batt into the condenser as well as airflow regulation.